Mr. and Mrs. Barney Devine arrived in St. Joe from their California home a few days ago, and on Tuesday

Mr. Devine came to Algona with his son-in-law, Mr. Charles Wernert, and is staying with his son George.

Mrs. Devine still stays with her daughter, Mrs. Wernert.

--Algona Courier, 16 June 1911, page 7

Matt Freilinger of Estancia, New Mexico, the second youngest son of our former townsman, was in town

the fore part of the week. He says his father is enjoying good health and at work every day.

--Algona Courier, 14 July 1911, page 8

Word was received in Algona Monday of the death of John Devine in Livermore. Mr. Devine was a brother

of Barney Devine, and was, we think, a couple of years older than Barney. The two brothers came to

America from Ireland when they were ten or twelve years old, following their parents who had preceded

them and had settled in Canada, not far north of the Vermont line. At this writing we have had no

particulars of the death.

--Algona Courier, Friday, 27 October 1911, page 1

DEATH OF JOHN DEVINE

Old Pioneer Passes Peacefully Away in His Ninety-Third Year at the Home of his son Barnett in

Livermore. Leaves Thirty-Eight Grand-Children and Eight Great Grand-Children.

Old uncle John Devine dropped peacefully to rest last Friday afternoon at the home of his son

Barnett in this city, surrounded by his relatives and in the presence of his faithful old brother and

lifelong companion Barnett. Mr. Devine's frequent prayer in his latter years was that he might live

his full measure of life without being an invalid or a burden to anybody, and also that he might not

be called too suddenly; and the efficacy of prayer was never more convincingly answered than in

his case, and his declining days and even his last hours were utterly without pain, and fully

according to his wish.

John Devine was born on January 26, 1819, in County Armagh, Ireland, and would have been 93

years of age on his next birthday. He came across the water at the age of 14, to Three Rivers,

Canada. His parents had already located there, and had been able to bring all the family at the time

with the exception of John and his brother Barnett. Therefore they made the journey alone. He

continued to live at Three Rivers and was there married to Ann Meagher about 1844. His brother

Barnett, who was over two years younger but who was always the leader in every move that united

the interests of the two brothers through life, had gone to Blue Island, Ill., and about two years

after John's marriage he sent for John and his wife to join him at that place which they did with

their son John, who was born in the meantime.

A few years later Barnett was again on the move and discovered that what is now Riverdale

township, in Kossuth county, was an ideal place to locate and farm. He consequently returned to

Blue Island for John, who had resided there six or seven years, and accompanied him across the

country to Kossuth county, arriving in 1856. The journey was made in covered wagons, the party

consisting of Barnett, John and wife, and their three children, John, Margaret and James. Perhaps

the most eventful happening on the road was a stop they made in Washington county [Iowa],

where Barnett had made the acquaintance of a lady on his previous journey; the balance of the trip

constituted his honeymoon.

John's son, Barnett, was the first white child born in Kossuth county with one exception—that of a

child in the Ambrose Call family at Algona. The first mass that ever was celebrated in Kossuth

county was in the log house of John Devine by Father Marsh of Fort Dodge; and this house was

used thereafter for some time for that purpose, the neighbors gathering for miles around to attend

the services. In after years the deceased was very active in the building of the old St. Joseph

Catholic church, which has now been replaced by a more modern structure, the old one being at

present used as a creamery.

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Rachel (Scherf) Levine

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